Two poker tables are at a luxury resort in the Bahamas, and some of the most notable figures in the poker world are sitting in the chairs surrounding them. They compete amongst themselves, raise, bet, and occasionally bluff when needed. This time, however, the goal isn’t cash or World Series of Poker bracelets, but rather to raise money for IDF widows and orphans.
A charity poker tournament was organized in the Bahamas, where the proceeds were donated to the IDFWO. The funds will go towards organizing empowerment camps and retreats for the orphans.
The path from an idea to a successful event
The initiative originated when Ory Weihs, who alongside his wife Anna Meissner co-founded the Czech-based philanthropic, pro-Israeli charity Shalem, reached out to Robbie Strazynski with an idea to host a $10,000 buy-in poker tournament, of which half would be donated to the IDFWO. Robbie, an Israeli-American residing in Karnei Shomron, Israel, Founder of Cardplayer Lifestyle, and a highly involved figure in the global poker industry, was thrilled by the idea and pushed for the event.
Strazynski used his connections in the industry to get Daniel Negreanu, Poker Hall of Famer and an avid pro-Israeli supporter, on board. Another key figure who joined the initiative was Isai Scheinberg, founder of the online poker site PokerStars, who used to live in Israel. Scheinberg connected with Michael Kim, founder of the current largest online poker website: GG Poker, which recently acquired the rights to the World Series of Poker.
The involvement of Scheinberg and Kim became fundamental for the event, as Kim agreed to host it in the Bahamas during the World Series of Poker Paradise, a series of high-end tournaments in the Caribbean attracting the world’s top players.
'We don’t need to be scared anymore'
To avoid harassment and negative press from the anti-Israel movement, the tournament organizers maintained a low profile. They approached potential players privately but chose not to advertise the event publicly. Only 24 hours before the game, Strazynski revealed the story on his website: “Now that we did it, we don’t need to be scared anymore,” he says, “maybe next time we will do it more openly, and fill 50 tables.”
In the end, 12 players showed up for the $10,000 buy-in tournament. Among the players were some well-recognized faces in the industry: Bertrand Grospellier, better known as ElkY, an ambassador of GG Poker; Ari Engel, a Jewish-Canadian player who has collected over $9 million in career tournament winnings, who is also the son of an orthodox rabbi; Jeff Platt, a popular poker tournament presenter, Isai Scheinberg himself, and others.
In a surprising turn of events, Ory and Anna were the tournament’s final two participants, having eliminated the other 10 players. Realizing the opportunity, the pair immediately decided to donate the entirety of the raised amount instead of just the 50% agreed on initially. So the tournament on its own ended up raising $120,000.
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That, however, was not the final sum donated to the IDFWO charity. Negreanu, who couldn’t participate in this tournament due to participating in a simultaneously occurring event, donated $10,000. Phil Hellmuth, who holds the record for most WSOP bracelets, spontaneously donated $2,000. Together with additional donations, the final sum raised was about $140,000.
Shlomi Nahumson, CEO of the IDFWO charity, commented on the initiative: “It’s not only a poker game; it’s a warm hug and show of unity to our community. The amazing support of leading figures in the poker world and their generous donations remind us that the human spirit and the spirit of giving cross any and all borders. The money raised will allow us to continue to operate and support widows and orphans by providing the right tools for dealing with life’s challenges and fostering support and empowerment.”